“The Roster” is a series created by Aneesh Batchu. Each week, a tier list of the best, most average, and worst new releases is published alongside blistering hot takes. The best of the best receive a trophy, and the worst of the worst are tossed in the bin. First, Batchu tackles the latest singles, and then his team comments on the most recent albums.
Singles
Good
🏆 Cochise – “4AM” is buoyant and youthful. Terrell Cox and Nate Morgan injected candy and chiptune inspirations into this track, which created a sugary synergy with Cochise’s playful vocals. Here, Cochise is in his element, even if his cartoonish style is not for everyone.
A$AP Rocky, J. Cole – “Ruby Rosary” is reminiscent of Cole’s last hit, “Might Delete Later,” with its slow piano lines, relaxed flow, and direct lyricism. However, Cole’s verse on this song did not measure up to his pre-beef standards of quality.
Megan Thee Stallion, RM – “Neva Play” with me about this track. The stripped-down, brakes-on pace makes for an entertaining and refreshing listening experience to Stallion’s rapping. Uncannily, the nonchalant RM feature also flowed perfectly alongside the hot girl shit.
Central Cee, RAYE – “Moi” is the second recent Central Cee x French vocals song, but this time, the collaboration was not done a disservice. Ultimately, it was interesting to hear Central Cee’s stereotypical flow stretched over a couple minutes of uncharacteristically melodramatic production.
keshi – “Texas” incorporates keshi’s smooth-as-silk voice into the archetypal Texan twangy production. This single has me excited for the upcoming album release.
Halsey – “Ego” captures the heyday sound of 2010s pop, which fits perfectly into Halsey’s burgeoning aesthetic. If Halsey’s upcoming album follows this formula, she could see a second-wave of a rise to relevancy.
Mid
Alex Warren – “Troubled Waters” is not making any waves in this week’s releases. With its cliché lyricism and corporate melody, I cannot wait to hear this playing over a decades-old speaker system at Target.
Toosii, Gunna – “Champs Élysées” does not capture a sonic paradise like the title implies. On top of the beat’s classic yet gimmicky reliance on a pitched-up sample, both artists’ lyricism falls flat. Their verses are plain and lackluster.
mxmtoon, Kero Kero Bonito – “the situation” is that this song is… average. While mxmtoon’s post-ukelele-youtuber pop-rock vocals lend a nostalgic tone to the bubbly, videogame-esque sound of KKB, this song does not make full use of either of the musicians’ niches.
The Chainsmokers, Kim Petras – “Don’t Lie” and say this is your new favorite song! While the Chainsmokers’ dancehall-adjacent production makes this a sonically good song, the musical and lyrical themes never evolve. “Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-” over synth chords does not make for a “catchy,” club track… it allows for even a lazy DJ’s ability to determine this as lacking substance.
Bad
🚮 Flo Milli, coop, G – “Wet Dreams” will not be had because of this song. This is yet another generic horny song with boring production and overly explicit and wordy lyricism.
Sexxy Red – “U Kno What To Do”: remove this from your playlist. Nothing about this track is unique: the lyrics, the production, and the vocalization fail to diverge at all from Sexxy Red’s past work.
Lil Wayne, Lil Yachty, Pharrell Williams, Doodles, Kyle Richh – “Can’t Hold Me Down” and stop me from turning this song off. Though I do enjoy Yachty’s return to his old stylings, the production is disjointed and off-putting with its distorted vocal samples as a beat.
Quavo, Ty Dolla $ign, ARE WE DREAMING – “If I Fall” is an overproduced addition to the soundtrack for the upcoming “Transformers” movie. Despite being for a children’s film, the lyricism is rudely elementary. It is so generic that the Decepticons might fall asleep while listening.
NLE Choppa, 41 – “Or What” is yet another NLE horny™ production. Choppa has made his niche definitively clear, but that niche is clearly not for me.
Rob49 – “I Swear To God” that this guy peaked with his feature on “Utopia.” Everything Rob49 has put out since then has been the same: songs with insanely bell-heavy with mediocre lyrics and vocals.
Guest Roster Singles Review: Queen, Megan Thee Stallion – “We Will Rock You” – Megan Thee Stallion Version is just another stadium song mashup. This ‘version’ of “We Will Rock You” is so unserious; Stallion’s customary adlibs are little unnecessary easter eggs in one of the most recognizable songs of all time. This did nothing more than give me a good cackle. – K. Cross
Albums
Good
🏆 Rex Orange County – “The Alexander Technique” is a soft, melancholic confessional with brilliant storytelling. The record is a symphony of strong piano melodies, jazzy riffs and drum solos, diverse lyricism, instrumental diversity, and excellent musicality reminiscent of dreamy days and movie soundtracks. The album has its own unique character while also constructing an homage to artists of the past. I’ll be diving back into his discography for more.– Thea Millenson-Wilens
Fred again.. – “ten days” is a beautiful, sweet, and euphoric collection of house music. Listening to this album front to back feels like a trip down memory lane, in all its bittersweet spectacle. This is a record that we will come back to for years, reminiscing on the good old days of today. – S. Putta
Camila Cabello – (DELUXE) “C,XOXO – Magic City Edition” somehow highlights Cabello’s new style of techno ballads and hyper-pop better than her initial release. The four new deluxe tracks best encapsulate Cabello’s electric, tinny synthesized sound. – A. Batchu
Mid
Toro y Moi – “Hole Erth” ain’t listening to this one. While I do applaud Toro’s attempt at a radical genre shift, the record has an “undercurrent” of what I can best describe as a millenial-themed production style. The generally average rap-rock record only has a few stand-out tracks. – A. Batchu
Bad
🚮 Paris Hilton – “Infinite Icon” is absolutely not an iconic record. It is nothing more than rehashed dance-pop beats and an AI-generated slop album cover. Search “I cannot wait for Paris Hilton’s new album” on X, and zero results return. There’s – C. Nnadozie
G Herbo – “Big Swerv” is one of the worst albums of the year. The limited beat selection and terrible flow from G Herbo are only made worse by a series of unsatisfactory features. Please swerve this disappointing gangsta rap album without any connection to Herbo’s other works. – L. Avelar
Jessie Murph – “That Ain’t No Man That’s The Devil” sounds like someone poured whiskey over a stack of 2014 pop CDs. Also, please stop rapping. – B. Joshua
blink-182 – (DELUXE) “ONE MORE TIME…PART-2” continues blink-182’s repetitive shtick: generic, geriatric rock with themes of teenage anxiety. For fans of their other work that all sounds the same, here are six more songs that all… sound the same. – A. Batchu
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